The Power Of A Smile
Posted: August 24, 2010 by Brad Clark - COO
This past weekend I stopped by a pizza store up the street to pick up a pizza for my family. My expectation was to quickly grab a pizza as my wife and I were late for an appointment. The goal was to get in and out as quickly as possible. All I cared about was how efficiently they would handle my purchase, so I could get on my way. To my surprise, I left the store with a completely different experience than I was expecting.
When I entered the store, I was greeted by an enthusiastic employee at the register. He quickly grabbed a pizza they were promoting and offered me a free sample. He did so with lots of energy and excitement about this great new pizza. How could I say “No,” even though I’m not a big pizza fan myself? I only tried it because the employee was so enthused about it.
I then proceeded to place my order. To my surprise, even though I did not order the promotional pizza, this employee continued to process my order with a huge, friendly smile on his face. He appeared happy to be there and his genuine smile made me feel as though he appreciated my business. I walked out of the store having forgotten about how quickly I needed the pizza, and instead reflected on the positive experience that I had because of a smile. In fact, I probably walked out with a smile on my face also.
In today’s world of convenience, where so much time and attention is given to how easily and quickly we can get what we need, we must be careful to not let it come at the expense of a smile. The experiences that we remember most in life are our interactions with people. The impressions that we leave are what determine how much time we want to spend with each other. In the world of business, this means a lot. Having read or listened to many customer comments, I can assure you that I’m not alone in appreciating a friendly smile. Here are just a few I have recently observed:
“…The staff all had smiles, and it showed in their service.”“I want to commend the manager and all servers for their friendly welcome, always with a smile. Excellent service from all of the staff. We love it there and continue to always go back.”
“The waitress was very friendly and smiled a lot. Made us feel very comfortable. “
“Service was speedy; clerks were patient with my decision at the drive-by menu. Handed my food with a smile, and that made my evening!”
“The manager on duty was exceptional with the service she provided. She presented a great welcoming smile and maintained it throughout our transaction. Hope she is there on my next visit.”
“The girl at the window was very polite and smiled all the time. Great service and food.”
“Our waitress saw to our every need with a smile on her face.”
And many, many more…
In this fast-paced world of convenience and quick service, we must be careful not to lose sight of what keeps our customers coming back. When it comes time to decide between visiting one store over another, I will always choose the store where I feel welcome and appreciated… and as I was reminded this weekend, it all starts with a smile!
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